"Taking me for a fool?" Waldo coldly chuckled.

His palm rested on the door handle. Three pairs of anxious eyes were fixed on his every move. With a slight effort, there was a soft click as the room door opened slowly.

Herb and the other two had their eyes wide open, and the energy within them surged as if a tidal wave, preparing to face any crisis.

Creak!

The room door slowly swung open, revealing an endless expanse of darkness beyond. It seemed as if countless dark tides were surging, and at times, a large amount of crimson-tinged black mist rushed forward like a tide.

Roar!

Within the black mist, a giant pale hand reached out towards them.

"Quick, close the door! What is this creature? Close the door quickly!" Herb, Tristan, and Ulva’s faces suddenly changed dramatically. They felt a terrifying energy fluctuation from the rushing tide, especially from the skeletal hand.

A tremendous sense of impending danger enveloped them in an instant, and it was as if their blood turned to ice. In their panic, they shouted for Waldo.

Clearly, they had pinned their hopes on him because he was at the door. However, in the next moment, their faces changed dramatically once again. Waldo, who had opened the door, was now nowhere to be seen.

"Damn! No!" Herb suddenly widened his terrified eyes. Faced with the overwhelming energy fluctuation, he trembled all over. The feeling of such intense fear hadn’t occurred in a long time.

Yet, in less than half a day since they arrived in the Land of Darkness, he was already experiencing the sensation of impending death.

Ah! The pale hand burst through the faint barrier at the door and entered the safety room. It immediately seized Herb, who had frozen in place. Boundless and formidable power acted upon Herb.

Crack, crack, crack! The sound of bones breaking was heard, like a string of firecrackers going off.

Ah! A desperate and piercing scream, filled with despair, instantly awakened Tristan and Ulva, who were also gripped by fear and confusion. Both of them shuddered.

Their bodies, which had previously been scorching hot, were now bone-chillingly cold. Fortunately, Herb’s scream had awakened them, allowing them to react in time. Without thinking too much, the two of them roared and their internal energies surged.

Tristan grabbed the door and slammed it shut. However, he felt a tremendous resistance. When the colossal pale hand noticed Tristan’s action, it abandoned Herb, who was already beyond saving, changed direction, and lunged at Tristan.

The area shrouded by the pale hand seemed like a world of its own, imposing an enormous pressure. The sudden impact on Tristan made his blood flow sluggishly, and the power within his body became ferocious.

If not for his robust physique, the raging power might have caused his body to burst. Even so, blood flowed from his mouth, nose, ears, and eyes, presenting a pitiable sight.

"Damn it! Close the door!" Tristan roared like a wild beast, and a burst of frenzied power emanated from him. In an instant, he seemed to transform into a primeval beast in a frenzy.

His blood began to boil, and his blood quickly changed color from a bright red to a dazzling silver. With his roar, the transformation of his blood accelerated. In the blink of an eye, most of his blood turned into extraordinary silver liquid.

Tristan suddenly broke free from the pale hand’s restraint. He pushed the door forcefully, and, whatever material it was made of, it remained unscathed under his fierce power.

With a deafening crash, the door was slammed shut, and the terrifying pale hand, as well as the surging dark tides that had entered the safety room, were expelled as if subjected to an immense force.

"Safe... finally safe." Tristan’s face was extremely pale as he gasped heavily, exhaling deep and heavy breaths.

Afterward, his expression became exceptionally grim. On the ground, Herb had already turned into a lifeless corpse. It had been incredibly dangerous just now. That pale hand had instilled a profound sense of terror in them.

They were once the strongest in their respective worlds and had seen many things, yet they quivered with fear in the presence of that colossal hand.

If I hadn’t closed the door in time, we would probably be in danger right now, Tristan thought, his brow covered in cold sweat.

"Darling, are we safe now?" Ulva’s soft body pressed against him, her large watery eyes revealing a fearful and anxious expression. Any man who saw her would want to cherish her.

Tristan held her slender waist and embraced her. His eyes flickered with a hint of sternness. "Don’t worry, we’re safe now. This is our safety room, as long as we don’t open the door, no matter how dangerous it is outside or how powerful that bizarre presence is, it can’t get in."

"Herb would still be alive if Waldo hadn’t closed the door immediately!" Ulva’s expression turned from vigilance to anger. She glanced at Herb’s lifeless body that had almost turned into a puddle of mud.

A green hue appeared at her fingertips, transforming into vines that quickly spread over Herb’s lifeless body. With the energy in the body, the vines grew at a terrifying speed, and soon the entire corpse was covered in lush, tiny vines.

Tristan’s eyelids twitched at the sight. Ulva, on the other hand, smiled slightly. She extended her hand, and the vines quickly retracted, disappearing beneath her skin.

"Don’t be afraid, my dear. It’s just a power I possess, and I’ll use it to protect you in the future," Ulva said with a playful smile, her beauty extremely breathtaking. Like a gorgeously blooming rose, she was stunning.

Tristan nodded. Suddenly, he squinted his eyes. Ulva raised her hand, and a vine shot out with incredible speed, like a green lightning bolt. With a swishing sound, the vine actually pierced the wall.

"What’s going on?" Ulva furrowed her brows. The vine grew rapidly. In an instant, seven or eight vines shot out like rays in all directions.

Squelch!

Squelch!

Squelch!

Before long, the entire safety room was covered in vines from top to bottom, left to right.

"Come out!" Ulva shouted. Suddenly, the countless vines seemed to have discovered something and shot towards the room’s entrance.